Adjustable housing for cars.



PATBNTBD MAY 19, 1903;

APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 30, 1902.

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No. 728,736. PATENTBD MAY 19, 1903;

- J. A. DB MAGEDO.

ADJUSTABLE HOUSING FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1902. x0 110mm. 2 sums-sum 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOAQUIM ANTONIO DE MAOEDO, OF LEVENTHORPE HALL, COUNTY OF YORK, ENGLAND.

ADJUSTABLE HOUSING FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,736, dated May 19,1903.

Application filed October 30, 1902. Serial No. 129,411. (No model.)

The object of my invention is to protect the outside passengers on carsfrom the rain and from the rays of the sun; and it consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of a quickly adjustable housing adapted towholly or partially inclose the upper portion of the car and to beconveniently and quickly extended for protection or withdrawn as thechanging conditions of the weather may render desirable.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showingthe housing folded and out of use. Fig. 2 is aplan, and Fig. 3 a sideelevation, of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on line l 4.of Fig. 5, showing the housing extended to form the inclosure. Fig. 5 isa plan view, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, showing the housing extended.Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail plan view of a part of the ridge-box of thehousing and its contained rollers and folded rafters. Fig. 8 is an endview of the ridge-box with one-half of it in cross-section. Figs. 9 and10 are onlarged details showing the two positions of thevertically-adjustable side rails and the folding stanchions, and Fig. 11is a section on line 11 11 of Fig. 10.

(2. represents horizontal stationary and 1on gitudinally-arranged siderails, to each of which is hinged a corresponding verticallyadjustableside rail a, located above the lower rail or and connected to it atregular intervals by folding, stanchions aiwhich are adapted to folddown and lie in a nearly horizontal position, as seen in Figs. 3 and 9,or be elevatedto a vertical position, as seen in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 10.The details of the joints and connections of these rails and stanchionsare shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11,111 which the joint at the lower end ofsome of the stanchions a is provided with a spring 1), that tends tolift the stanchion to its vertical position, thus aiding in the liftingof the adjustable rail a and breaking the concussion of its descent. Atthe top of the stanchion where it is hinged to the top rail is locatedablock S, rigidly fixed to the upper rail a and adapted to strike againstthe lower rail and stop the descent of the upper rail when folded down,as seen in Fig. 9. These blocks are notched on their upper sides to formseats to receive the folding rafters b and have springcatches S to keepthem in place, as seen in Fig. 10. The lower side rail ct is of theusual height, or about thirty inches, while the upper one, a, is capableof being raised to a height of sixty or sixty-five inches, and when soraised it forms a distending frame for a series of curtains which arelet down from a middle elevated ridge-box. R R represent thisridge-box,supported at each end about six feet six inches above thecar-top by hollow steel posts 0, steadied by guy-ropes d, as shown onthe left hand of Figs. 3 and 6, or bya framework forming the end, asshown on the right-hand side of said figures. This latter framework isvery strong and light, and the upper ends of the uprights are joinedtogether by steel tubes 25, arranged in triangular relation to form atrussed frame.

The ridge-box R (see Figs. 4 and 8) is made of twolongitudinally-arranged hollow compartments each containing a double rowof spring-rollers f f, arranged to lap past each other, as shown inFigs. 5 and 7. It may have, however, only a single continuous roller oneach side. These rollers f are preferably spring-rollers, and on themare wound curtains q, Fig. 8, which are adapted to be pulled down fromthe ridge-box to the top rail 0, when elevated, and thence down alongthe sides of the stanchions a to form both a temporary roof and side forthe car. The rollers when more than one on a side are used are arrangedalternately out of alinement and of such length as to lap past eachother, as seen in Fig. 7, so as to allow the adjacent edges of thesecurtains to overlap three or fourinohes and also to obviate any stickingor binding of the edge of the curtains if rolled up more on one sidethan the other. In front of these rollers and hinged to the ridge-boxare a number of wooden arms b, which when closed lie in'the lower edgesof the ridge-box parallel to the same, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8, and actas doors to the ridge-box to fully inclose the curtains and rollers, butare capable of being turned out on their hinges b, so as to occupy aposition at right angles to the ridge, as seen in Fig. 5, in whichposition they form rafters to support the curtains. When so disposed,the outer ends of these rafter-arms I) drop into the notched seats ofthe blocks S on the under side of the top rail a, as seen in- Fig. 10,and are secured by springcatches S, which lock them in place. Theserafters are hinged to the edge of the ridge-box, whichinclines downwardat an angle of thirty degrees, and this allows the rafters to moveoutwardly from gravity and open themselves when released. When disposedwithin the box in folded position,'they are retained by hook-shapedcatches k, Figs. 7 and 8, which dr'o'p through an eye or loop Z on thefree end of the rafters. These catches'may be released by pressing up abutton 70, formed on the catches, or they may be all opened at once bymeans of a longitudinally-adjustable rod m, which extends the wholelength of the ridge and has (see Fig. 7) cams orwedge-surfacesmthatsimultaneously lift all the catches.

The adjustable rail or is made with an end section 6, as seen in Fig. 6,which is hinged at y to the rail and is adapted to be returned to andsecured to the ridge at W. The other end of the adjustable rail issecured by lifting up the arm Q, (see Figs. 3 and 6,) which is hinged tothe upright, and fastening its extremity to the said end of the rail.

The ends of the car are made weather-tight by means of Windows of glassor any other transparent material, which windows may be raised orlowered,like the windows in the doors of railway-carriages. The'numberof these windows varies,according to theshape and size of the vehicle,and in certain cases the doorway for exit and entry on the upper deck is'more conveniently screened by means of a flap or apron hooked orbuckled so as to exclude rain, snow, or dust.

In the case of double-decked electric cars it often happens that thestandard of the trolley is not sufficiently high to admit of the ridgebeing placed high enough to allow good I headway. To obviate thisdifficulty, Imake the holder into which the trolley-pole fits at ahangle of about one hundred and thirtyfive degrees, as shown in Fig. 3,instead of straight, and a well-hole or chamber V is formed in the ridgeto receive the trolleyholder. This trolley-pole is shown at Z, thetrolley-holder at Y, and below this is the standard X. With thisconstruction,although the standard be only five feet six inches, theridge may be placed at an altitude of six feet six inches withoutinterfering with the motion of the trolley-pole, which is still free tomove to any position between the vertical and the horizontal. When thetrolley-standard is at one side of the car instead of the middle, a holeis to be cut through one of the 'cient.

curtains to accommodate it. The ridge-boxmay be made of steel, in whichcase the trolley-pole may spring from the top of the ridge, thus gainingtwo extra seats for passengers.

The curtains may be of any suitable width; but from four to five feet ismost convenient for manipulation. There are from four to five of suchcurtains on each side of the ridge for an ordinarysize of electric car;For small cars one curtain only on each side is suffi- When the curtainshave been drawn down to the required position, according to thedirection of the wind or sun, then all the rollers are locked by meansof a rod j, Figs.

7 and 8, sliding longitudinally inside the ridge and operating catchesh, which are thus made to engage and hold the ratchet-wheels g, fixed onthe ends of the rollers. The curtains may be wholly or partially drawndown as desired, for which purpose suitable hooks or fastenings areprovided at different altitudes at each side of the car. When the sidecurtains have been drawn down and the rollers secured, the aprons orflaps (not shown nor claimed) are hooked on the ends and buckled, andthe top of the car becomes a kind of tent in which the passengers areprotected from the rain or sun, as the case may be. It is very seldomthat thecurtains on both sides will be required to be drawn completelydown. In order that the passengers may be able to see in what localitythey are, one or more of the curtains on each side may be made wholly orpartially of xylonite or have transparent windows.

This housing may be very quickly adjusted by the operators of the car,from three to five minutes only being required.

The adjustable railing and rafters are intended for cases when the caris of usual form, with the exception of the ridge. This ridgeconstitutes no detriment, beingonly a few inches in width and in suchposition as to be quite out of the way. It also affords, furthermore,certain incidental advantages, for it is not only a protection againstfalling wires, but with its aid upright rods may be fixed at intervalsat each side of the gangway for the passengers to steady themselves byon entering or leaving the car.

If desired, the vertically-adjustable rails a and the movablerafter bmay be replacedby a fixed framework of steel tubing or wire rope, orboth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An adjustable housing for a car, comprising standards having a middlefixed ridge, elevated side rails,and one or more rollers with curtainsarranged longitudinally along the ridge on each side and adapted to bedrawn down to form a temporary roof and sides to the car as described.

2. An adjustable housing for a car, comprising standards having a middlefixed ridge, elevated side rails, one or more rollers with curtainsarranged longitudinally along the ridge on each side and adapted to bedrawn down to form a temporary roof and sides to the car, and rafters tosupport said curtains 5 hinged to the ridge and folding parallel to thesame or adapted to be fixed transversely to the car as described.

3. A vertically-adjustable side rail for a car having hinged stanchionsarranged to be folded down or be erected, in combination with asupporting-ridge and transverse rat'- ters connecting with the side railas described.

4. A vertically-adjustable side rail for a car having hinged stanchionsarranged to be folded down or be erected, in combination with asupporting-ridge, rafters hinged to said ridge, and locking devices forconnecting the hinged rafters to the side rail when elevated asdescribed.

5. A vertically-adjustable side rail for a car having hinged stanchionsarranged to be folded down or be erected, in combination with asupporting-ridge, rafters hinged to said ridge, locking devices forconnecting the rafters to the side rails,and rollers with ourtainsdisposed along the ridge and adapted to be drawn down over the raftersand the sides of the car as described.

6. A housing for a car consisting of an elevated l0ngitndinally-arrangedridge fixed in middle position above the car and bearing spring-rollerswith two ratchet-wheels and catches fixed thereon in a reversedposition, so as to permit the rollers to wind up, but not unwind, saidrollers being arranged in two rows, back and front alternately and sothat their extremities extend beyond each other, as shown for thepurpose of allowing the blinds or curtains to overlap laterally and thuskeep out the rain and Wind, substantially as shown and described.

7. A housing for a car having an elevated middle ridge with rollers andcurtains, said rollers having wheels and locking devices for the sameand a longitudinally-sliding rod acting on said locking devicessubstantially as described.

8. A housing for a car having an elevated middle ridge bearing rollerswith curtains, rafters hinged to the ridge and having catches forholding them folded along the ridge, and a longitudinally arrangedreleasing bar adapted to act on all the catches at once to release therafters as described.

9. A housing for a car having an elevated middle ridge with a depressionin the center, and a trolley-arm located in said depression and bent asdescribed to lie fiat along the top of the ridge substantially asdescribed.

JOAQUIM ANTONIO DE MAGEDO.

Witnesses:

J. A. M. DE MAoEDo, CHAS. GILLIARD.

